Looking for aquaculture's most promising start-up company

The judge of the Seafood Innovation Award are looking for the most promising start-up companies in the seafood industry.

They are looking for players with new ideas that can help solve some of the challenges facing the industry. 

The companies are assessed based on several key criteria, including environmental impact, business idea, team competence, and  growth potential.

Comapnies can enter the contest on the innovation prize website. The deadline for registration is February 10, 2026.

An audience of investors

The selected finalists will have the opportunity to showcase their business ideas at the North Atlantic Seafood Forum in Bergen in March and present their business idea to the jury there, with a number of companies and investors present in the room.

The winner not only receives a cash prize, but also tailored entrepreneurial assistance in important areas such as strategy, marketing and business development.

"This is an arena where companies can showcase their solutions where it really matters – in front of the industry, decision-makers and investors who can help take them further," says project manager Cathrine Ulvatne at NCE Seafood Innovation. 

"Many of the challenges facing the seafood industry are global. Therefore, we also need global solutions. We want to reach out widely and encourage companies all over the world to submit their applications."

"This is an excellent opportunity to be seen and to get your minutes in the spotlight at the world's largest and most important conference for top executives in the seafood industry. And not least, the winner will receive concrete help with networking, intellectual property, profile, etc., from industry experts who work in the aquaculture industry on a daily basis," says Rolf Mork-Knudsen from aquaculture industry strategy and communications company Ocean Tales.

Previous winner

This year's winner of the award was the Icelandic company GreenFish, which combines satellite data and historical fishing data in AI models to predict fish locations, quantity and quality up to ten days in advance.

"In a short time, we have launched GreenFish on all continents, with a wide range of users worldwide. If you want to accelerate your innovation, we highly recommend applying for the Seafood Innovation Award. The support you receive can help you move in the right direction much faster than you thought possible," says GreenFish chief executive Sveinn Sigurdur Johannesson.

Highlighting solutions with potential

NCE Seafood Innovation organises the Seafood Innovation Award in collaboration with DNB, Pareto, Guard, Invest in Vestland, 70Blå Ocean Incubator, Sølvrev, Ocean Tales, NagellD and Acapo Onsagers.

"The Seafood Innovation Award is a central arena for highlighting technologies and solutions with the potential to shape the future of the seafood industry. As advisors within IP rights, we see how important, and often crucial, it is for companies to consider early on how innovation can be protected, whether through patents, trademarks or other IP strategies," says Ingrid Wetlesen Davanger, lawyer and partner at Acapo Onsagers.

"We are therefore proud to support an event that helps ensure that innovative ideas have the best conditions to succeed in the market."